This invention is directed to an electronic tone generator for producing higher-quality music and, in particular, to an electronic tone generator utilizing a primary electronic note-producing circuit and a secondary note-producing circuit for respectively producing note signals that are related with respect to each other in order to provide special sound effects.
Tone generators fabricated entirely of electronic components have been proposed heretofore. It is noted, however, that music produced by available electronic tone generators has a monotone quality and therefore is inferior in quality to the music produced by a good mechanical music generator of the type incorporated in a music box. Because of the inferior musical quality provided by the electronic tone generators of the prior art, the numerous advantages which an electronic tone generator can provide over a conventional mechanical music box have not as yet been fully appreciated. For example, mechanical tone generators are generally limited to a single tune, whereas electronic tone generators can be reprogrammed to perform any of a plurality of tunes. Similarly, electronic tone generators not only eliminate the use of mechanical winding springs, but additionally, the tempo of the music can be selectively varied.
Accordingly, what is needed is an electronic tone generator capable of producing music that compares in tonal quality with a good mechanical tone generator of the type used in a music box. Also, it is desirable that the good tonal quality be combined with the advantages of electronic circuitry in allowing reprogramming of the melody and the elimination of cumbersome mechanical parts such as winding springs.